Management company

Jodiehx91

Hi, I am in the process of buying a 3 year old house built by Taylor wimpey I am at the stage of completion but have been hit with a deed of covenant for a management company. The property I am buying is freehold but will have to pay a fee for the grounds maintenance once the site is complete I know this is standard now. The issue I’m having is that it is an uncapped fee and there is a pumping station On the estate which I have read horror story’s over the charge to maintain these. Has anyone had any issues with management companies and uncapped fees or am I worrying over nothing (this is my first house). 

Falafels

Is the pumping station the responsibility of the householders on the estate, or has the developer transferred it to the local water company? Even if it hasn't been transferred, how many households would have to contribute to its maintenance?

davidmcn

The charges can't realistically be "capped" - the communal stuff costs whatever it costs, and the residents have to meet the whole bill - nobody else is going to step in and help pay the costs.

Bowley

No issues here, we’ve lived in our new build for 5 years now. Charge of £48 quarterly has remained consistent and the end of year books balancing has so far ended up with us being credited money back. £60 last time. We also have some kind of pumping station on the estate. 

Jodiehx91

Falafels said:

Is the pumping station the responsibility of the householders on the estate, or has the developer transferred it to the local water company? Even if it hasn't been transferred, how many households would have to contribute to its maintenance?

It’s the management company that has it so will be for the residents to contribute. There is about 120 houses on the estate. 

Falafels

When we had our pumping station the monthly contribution from each household was £12.50, so we’re not talking massive sums in all likelihood.

coachman12

I had a friend whose parents lived in an over 60s block of flats with a residential warden. Apparently the management agents called Peverel/ Firstport were so bad that questions in the House of Commons had been asked many times. They sounded very bad indeed. The way to go, I was told, was to form a Residents Committee and get rid of bad management agents like Firstport and change to agents with a good reputation-----the costs of changing were offset by the savings in Firstport's overpriced service charge. I have no other knowledge but it may help you to know that you do not have to put up with rotten managing agents just because they seem to own the place and tell you what to do----RESIDENTS RULE and there is a statutory right to manage, and leave the present agents if they are so bad.

moneysavinghero

Meadfleet was our management company. Price always went up above inflation. From the breakdown of costs they give you they are charging more in management fees than for the actual maintenance work they do. So yet it is a bit of a rip off, but most new estates have these charges now so unless you buy an older house you just have to suck it up.

Ours was also a Taylor Wimpey estate and had a pumping station. Don't think the pumping station was part of the maintenance though - just the grounds.

eddddy

coachman12 said:

I had a friend whose parents lived in an over 60s block of flats with a residential warden. 
<snip>

The OP is talking about a freehold house - not a leasehold flat. Leasehold properties have a completely separate pile of legislation.

Jodiehx91

moneysavinghero said:

Meadfleet was our management company. Price always went up above inflation. From the breakdown of costs they give you they are charging more in management fees than for the actual maintenance work they do. So yet it is a bit of a rip off, but most new estates have these charges now so unless you buy an older house you just have to suck it up.

Ours was also a Taylor Wimpey estate and had a pumping station. Don't think the pumping station was part of the maintenance though - just the grounds.

Ours is going to be scanlans management company, solicitor says there not one of the worst ones but you never know. Reading the breakdown of costs there seems to not be much for maintanence but more for the employment of staff to sit at a computer to organise stuff most frustrating! Especially when you still have to pay full council tax. I know I’m going to have to suck it up as all new builds have it. 

badger09

Looks like we're going to be in similar position to OP. 

In process of buying 4 year old Galliers house in Shropshire. Does anyone have any knowledge of centrick  - based in Birmingham?